Orthodox Christianity

Orthodox Christianity is one of the major branches of Christendom. The term “orthodox” means both “proper worship” (doxa) and “true teaching” (dogma). Both these aspects – the worship service and a faithful witness to God’s revelation – are very important to Orthodox Christians. The Orthodox Church also calls itself “catholic” in the original sense of the term: “all-embracing,” “universal,” “for everyone.”

The Orthodox Church consists of a large number of local churches (patriarchates and autocephalic churches), with the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople having honorary primacy. There are almost 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide. In the Netherlands there are an estimated 140,000 Orthodox who belong to various local churches.

In practice, the term “Eastern Orthodox Church” is also used, following the terminology employed by the World Council of Churches and by academics, although the Orthodox Church does not limit itself to the East, certainly not at the present time. This also applies to the family of Oriental churches, with which the Orthodox Church has a great deal in common.

One Church, many cultures

The one Orthodox Church has always been open to diversity of cultures. Each national group is free to pray and read the Scriptures in their own language. This has resulted in a great wealth of languages, customs and styles, imparting a distinctive color to each local Orthodox church. Although the Orthodox Church is organized territorially into “local” churches (Greece, Romania, Serbia, etc.), all Orthodox Christians see themselves as part of the one Orthodox Church. The highest body in the Church is a council of all the local churches. There is great diversity, including in Western Europe and America. Both “traditional” and modern languages are used in the Church, depending on the needs of the various communities. Many parishes in the Netherlands conduct their services in Dutch.

Spirituality is central

The Orthodox Church believes that people can come to know God in a personal and intimate way. This encounter with God touches every aspect of a person’s life and leads them – insofar as they are open to it – into God’s Kingdom. It is there in the church, more than anywhere else, that the Kingdom reveals itself: the worship service reflects the angels’ eternal hymn of praise, while the mysteries (the sacraments) enable each person to “become partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). The high point in the life of each church is the Paschal vigil, when Orthodox believers celebrate Christ’s victory over death.

The encounter with God requires that a person open himself to God, striving to “behold Him with a pure heart” (see Mt. 5:8). This is a lifelong process of spiritual deepening, both a physical and a spiritual exercise – ascesis. Over the centuries, monks and laypeople have built up a wealth of experiences that reflect the many paths leading to God. Ascesis, the encounter with God and the joy of Pascha are aspects that play a central role in all Orthodox churches. Even today, monasteries serve as important centers of spiritual experience. There are three Orthodox monasteries in the Netherlands: in Asten, Noord-Brabant; in The Hague; and in Himmelum, Friesland.

Icons as signs of God’s incarnation

Icons encompass the lives of Orthodox Christians – in the church, at home, and while traveling. Icons are more than “ordinary” religiously inspired art. They reflect the conviction that man himself is an icon (image) of God. The Bible tells us how humans were created in God’s image and likeness (Gen. 1:26). In the Greek language, this is expressed by means of the term “icon” (image). The original likeness of man as icon was damaged, however, when man turned away from God. To restore man’s original beauty, God Himself assumed flesh and became human in the person of Jesus, the Messiah. Paul describes Christ as “the image [icon] of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15). Christ manifests God’s image and opens the way to restoring the image of God in man, a spiritual return to the likeness.

What do you find in an Orthodox church?

An Orthodox church building is rich in symbolism. This symbolism is not allegorical; it’s a reference to a spiritual reality. We see the different stages in God’s plan of salvation: the narthex stands for the world of the Old Testament, the nave for the world of Christ’s Church, the sanctuary for the Kingdom to come. The sanctuary also symbolizes the empty tomb and the Body of Christ. In the center of the sanctuary is the altar, on which the eucharist is celebrated. The gifts are prepared on another table in the sanctuary, and during the Liturgy (the celebration of the eucharist) they are solemnly brought to the altar. The border between the sanctuary (accessible only to the celebrants) and the nave is symbolically rendered by the iconostasis – not as a wall of division but as a passageway. The icons of Christ, His Mother and the saints surround the door to God’s Kingdom. There are also many icons throughout the church: on lecterns and in thrones, but also along the walls, sometimes as frescoes or paintings. During the services, both the icons and the churchgoers are incensed; each human being is an icon of God as well! The clergy wear elaborate vestments as symbols of the divine light that is reflected on His angels and His people. The colors may vary according to the time of the liturgical year.

Orthodox churches in the Netherlands

The first Orthodox church in the Netherlands was founded in Amsterdam in around 1750 by Greek merchants and Russian mariners. This church existed until the death of Queen Anna Paulowna in 1865. After 1917, Russian exiles who had settled in the Netherlands founded parishes in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. After the Second World War they were followed by Serbs, and later by Greeks, Bulgarians and Romanians. Dutch people also converted to Orthodoxy, giving rise to Dutch-speaking parishes. Today there are three monasteries in the Netherlands – in Asten, Noord-Brabant; in The Hague; and in Himmelum, Friesland – as well as more than thirty Orthodox churches. The details and addresses of these parishes and monasteries can be found at http://www.orthodoxekerk.net/. These various congregations work together through a collaborative body: the Orthodoxe Bisschoppenconferentie van de Benelux.

Relations with other churches

The Orthodox Church regards itself as the one holy Catholic and apostolic Church. At the same time, it has never been indifferent to other Christian communities. In 1921 the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople sent a letter to all the Orthodox and non-Orthodox churches calling for the creation of a body within which the churches could seek common ground, much like the League of Nations. This letter is often seen as the beginning of the modern ecumenical movement. Between 1910 and 1948 several conferences took place in which the Orthodox played a prominent role, resulting in the establishment of the World Council of Churches in 1948. At the moment, all the Orthodox churches (with the exception of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Georgian Orthodox Church) are members of the WCC.

Making overtures to other churches is not uncontested in Orthodox circles, however. Some believers take offense at the style and content of the large ecumenical organizations (liberation theology, gender issues, syncretism), while others regard any form of dialogue with people of other beliefs as betrayal of the Church. For them, the only way to unity is the conversion of other churches to the Orthodox Church. The full scale of opinions can be found in most local Orthodox churches.

In terms of belief, spirituality and traditions, the Orthodox Church has a great deal in common with the Oriental churches.

Some Orthodox materials

• Metropolitan Kallistos Ware ‘The Orthodox Church’ (The best introduction to the Orthodox Church)
• Fr Andrew Louth. Introducing Eastern Orthodox Theology (Recent, crystal-clear introduction to Orthodox theology)
• Colliander, Tito. The Way of the Ascetics, ISBN: 9780881410495  (Wonderful introduction to Orthodox asceticism. One of the standard works on Orthodoxy that everyone should know)
• Olivier Clément, Cyrille Argenti and others, “The Living God: a Catechism for the Christian Faith”, SVS Press 1989. (An excellent and detailed introduction to the Orthodox Faith)
• Olivier Clément. The Roots of Christian Mysticism: Texts from the Patristic Era,  ISBN 978-1565480292 (Wonderful anthology of texts by the Holy Fathers from the beginning of church history)
• Archbishop Paul of Finland: The Faith we Hold”, SVS Press 1980 (Simple and accessible catechism)
• Father Thomas Hopko, “The Orthodox Faith” (Accessible and well-structured introduction to the Faith and sacraments)
• Lev Gillet, “The Year of Grace of the Lord: A Scriptural and Liturgical Commentary on the Calendar of the Orthodox Church” , SVS Press 1980 (Magnificent introduction into the Church year, both its themes and Bible readings)